


Rise of the Phoenix

by Destiny_in_the_Stars



Series: The Phoenix Rising [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-03-11 13:09:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13524939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destiny_in_the_Stars/pseuds/Destiny_in_the_Stars
Summary: I would like to give a special shoutout to a friend of mine, who’d rather remain anonymous, for the use of her character named Nixie. Nix and I have come so far in creating this story, so I hope you all enjoy it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to give a special shoutout to a friend of mine, who’d rather remain anonymous, for the use of her character named Nixie. Nix and I have come so far in creating this story, so I hope you all enjoy it.

Michael had been staying there for about a week, recovering from his injury. He’d told Nixie about his brothers, of the youngest Castiel who had always held a fascination with nature. He even brought up Lucifer, his one-year younger brother, to an extent considering what he had done. Surprisingly, things were going extremely well while Michael stayed with Nixie.

  
Nixie, in turn, had grown comfortable with her unlikely guest and interestingly enough felt safe with him around.

  
“Hey, Nix, I’m heading out!” Michael called, pulling on the usual cloak he wore to keep his identity hidden. Despite everything, he had yet to tell Nixie who he was before meeting her, only stating he was a traveler which wasn’t exactly a lie.

  
Nixie looked up at him, setting down the book she had been reading. Unlike most people in her village, the healer was able to read and even write. “Be careful. I’ll see you tonight.”

Michael nodded and headed into the village, the hood pulled over his head. If things kept going as smoothly as they were, he could continue his stay with Nixie. 

Nixie also pulled on her cloak, going out to the trails in search of more herbs. As she walked, she drew the clothing against herself, feeling a slight chill in the air. 

Midnight whinnied, her rider grunting softly as they reached the outskirts of a village. He had been looking for a week yet there was still nothing. No trace of Michael, not even a message expressing he was still alive. The rider slowed down his mare, giving her an affectionate pat on the neck. He looked everywhere yet no one wanted to help him, not that they had a clue who he was. Not in these parts. 

Nixie followed the familiar trail, looking for a particular plant. She paused, realizing with a sudden start that she was off the path. The healer heard footsteps behind her, causing her to turn but there was no one there. She bent down to dig up some roots when all of a sudden she felt everything go dark. 

Michael frowned, feeling that today things were going to change. And fast. He had his hands full with a basket of food, deciding to pick up the ingredients Nixie needed instead of having the healer walk back to the village, staring to head back towards the cabin. Before he could manage to reach his destination, Michael felt the odd sensation of someone watching him. Was it real? It couldn’t be because if it was then it was likely his secret was showing? The dark-haired man bristled, but seeing nothing... he kept walking. 

“Nix? Nixie?” He called. No answer. Frowning, he realized Nixie might be in the trails. His suspicions were confirmed upon seeing an herbal bag on the ground. “You’ve got to be kidding,” he muttered. 

Nixie woke up in a dusty cottage, her hands secured with rope to a chair. She struggled to see if she could free herself. A man in a hood entered the room, stalking up to the healer, who began feeling terrified as the mysterious kidnapped stopped and and stroked her face. He leaned down, breathing into her ear. 

“There’s a man we have in common. I’m looking for him.” He rested a hand on her shoulder while Nixie continued struggling. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nixie hissed. 

The man clicked his tongue. “The man clicked his tongue. “Now I know that isn’t true, my dear,” he spoke as he pulled out a knife, waving it dangerously in front of his captive’s face. “And you’re going to tell me.”

  
Nixie screamed, eyes widened when the knife got too close. 

  
The man in the hood slapped Nixie, backhanding her hard. “Shut up, you stupid girl! I want to know where you’ve been hiding him. This is bigger than both of us. Don’t you understand? Don’t you understand what removing him means?” he hissed.

  
Nixie looked confused, not understanding what her kidnapper was talking about. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let me go!”

   
The man just laughed. “Why are you protecting him? He’s not even from your town, what do you care?” He ran the knife over her cheek, just hard enough to draw a light trail of blood.

  
Midnight tossed her head, letting out a snort, when her rider finally started slowing down. Her master had sensed someone was there and decided to investigate, clearly startled in disbelief. It wasn’t possible. After so long, even if it had only been a week, he had finally found him.

  
Michael turned sharply as he felt that someone was there, hearing the sound of hooves. He stared in surprise, startled by the appearance of…

  
“Castiel, what are you doing here?” he asked.

  
Castiel, Midnight’s rider, was a young man with short black hair, almost as dark as Michael’s, with a sharp shade of blue eyes which were lighter than his brother’s. The only exception to blue eyes was Gabriel, who was older than Castiel but younger than Michael and Lucifer.

  
“I do not know why you left, brother, but everything is in turmoil. Please come back.” Castiel spoke.

  
“I can’t, Castiel. I won’t.” Michael sighed.  
His younger sibling seemed about ready to protest, having already spent days on end searching for the missing dark-haired man, yet fell silent again when Michael suddenly snarled.

  
“I need your horse,” Michael said sharply, leaving no room for argument. He cursed his lack of common sense, knowing he shouldn’t have involved himself with Nixie. Now she was gone, kidnapped… or worse.

  
Castiel looked uncertain, not knowing the reasons of Michael’s sudden change in attitude, until he finally sighed and handed over the reins to Michael. “Just be careful.”

  
Michael mounted Midnight, giving a firm slap on her neck with the reins. Midnight replied with an angry snort and started going at a trot. “Come on. Where is she?”

  
Nixie flinched away from the man, realizing things could end badly if she didn’t come up with an escape. “Even if I knew who you were talking about, I wouldn’t tell you anything.” She hissed, only to be slapped in response.

  
“Easy now. Easy,” Michael coaxed the mare, looking everywhere until he finally noticed faint tracks on the ground. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself with Nixie died because of his careless errors. Midnight slowed down, coming to a sudden stop in front of a cottage, pawing at the ground with her front hooves. Michael growled as he pulled out his trusted silver blade, ready to fight if need be. He was as silent as the shadow-wolves of the forest, his second choice of weapon gripped tightly in one hand. His eyes flashed, hearing a scream ring out in the air, recognizing Nixie’s voice.

  
Nixie screamed again when the hooded man held the knife against her throat. “I’m done playing games. I want an answer.”

  
Nixie pulled away, her eyes set with extreme defiance. “I’m not telling you anything.”

  
The man pressed the sharp edge into her throat, drawing a bead of blood. “Last chance, sweetheart.” he hissed.

  
“Let. Her. Go.” Michael hissed, his own blade gleaming violently, as he stepped into the other room. He paid no attention to Nixie whose eyes had widened when she saw the dark-haired individual in the room.

  
The hooded man grinned, turning to face Michael who didn’t move from where he stood.  
“Just who I wanted to see.”

  
“Yeah? Let her go. She’s not important. It’s me you want,” Michael snarled, readying himself to fight.

  
The man laughed, “How about I let her go just in time to tend to your dead body?”

  
“Try me. I’m skilled in combat.” The other spoke, his voice sharp and cold.

  
Nixie blinked back tears, not wanting Michael to get hurt.

  
The man in the hood lunged forward, swinging with his blade. Michael swiftly dodged his attacker’s advances, striking out with a parry. He moved like a cat, twisting and turning his body like a cat, eyes wild with anger. His adversary hissed when Michael’s blade nicked his right arm, dropping the knife he had used on Nixie. Michael slammed the man hard against the wall.

  
“Who sent you?” He growled.

  
The man laughed harshly, “Don’t you realize what your death would mean?”

  
“Answer me! Who. Sent. You?” Michael barked.

  
“Let’s just say that a group of people would be thrilled with you and your brothers’ deaths. They want a regime change.”

  
Michael trembled with rage as he let go of Nixie’s kidnapper. “Get out of here before I change my mind.” He snapped.

  
The man quickly ran out the door, leaving Michael and Nixie alone.

  
“Nix? Are you- are you alright?” Michael asked, worry seeping onto his voice. Nixie only nodded, shell-shocked, swallowing hard.

“You… You came for me?”

  
“Of course I did, Nix. I feel… drawn to you,” Michael sighed. He froze, finally noticing the red marks of slaps and drawn blood on Nixie’s face. The man clenched his hand into a fist, speaking through gritted teeth. “He hurt you.”

  
Nixie smiled in gratitude. “I’m okay, it’s not that bad. I’m okay. Thank you.”

  
“It’s no problem. You must want to know why you’re involved in this and why someone’s trying to kill me.” Michael said, tucking his blade back into his cloak. Nixie only smiled at him.

  
“You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”

  
“I cannot pull you through that again and the longer time passes the sooner you’ll find out.” Michael hissed softly.

  
As soon as Nixie’s hands were free, she rested a hand on his cheek in comfort. “I don’t care. Whatever it is, it can wait until you’re ready, not before that.” She looked into his sky-blue eyes. “I’m okay. I promise.”

  
Michael led Nixie to Midnight, helping ease the healer onto the horse. “This is Midnight. Ever been on a horse?” He asked as he reminisced fond memories of the stallion he’d been given when he was a child. 


	2. Chapter 2

Nixie bit her lip nervously when Michael asked her if she knew how to ride a horse.

"Only once or twice, I think," she admitted.

"Do you want me to show you how?" Michael questioned softly, realizing he might be treading on thin waters if his identity was accidentally revealed.

Nixie, noticing her companion's hesitation, caused her to smile at him. "Oh, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, it's not that. Nix, there's a lot of things I want to tell you, but I worry for your safety." Michael sighed. He really cared for Nixie, who had gone out of her way to help him when he was stabbed, and he hoped things could be different, wishing the situation wasn't affecting them both. Nixie blushed slightly at the dark-haired male's obvious concern.

Midnight came to a sudden halt when she seemed to recognize the place where her rider had been, only to realize Castiel was nowhere to be seen. The mare pawed her front hooves against the ground and let out a nervous whinny.

Nixie tilted her head to one side, noticing the horse's current distress. "Is everything okay?" She asked hesitantly.

"No, no, he was here. I should've had him come with me!" Michael shouted, his voice raised a bit from shock. How could he have been so stupid as to leave Castiel by himself in an unknown forest?

Nixie looked puzzled, looking at Michael with concern lacing her voice. "Who should have come with you?"

"My brother, Castiel... he was here, trying to find me," Michael sighed, running a hand through Midnight's mane to calm her down. The mare shook her head, but otherwise allowed the blue-eyed man to coax her. Nixie wanted to press, but she didn't since she felt like it wasn't any or business.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked either way. There was a sudden pang in her chest at seeing Michael distressed even though he was doing a fairly good job at hiding it.

"I have to find him. He's got to be here." Michael spoke, trying not to appear nervous as it wouldn't do good in the current predicament. Nixie placed a hand on his shoulder, offering some sort of comfort.

"I'm here for you, however you need me to be," she kept her voice calm and steady, hoping it would somehow help her guest's dilemma. "You don't have to do this alone." Michael flinched slightly from the touch yet he smiled sadly, showing a snese of peace between them.

"Thank you, Nixie. It means a lot."

* * *

In an unidentified location, Castiel awoke with a throbbing headache. He groaned and grunted, feeling ropes digging into his arms and ankles. The black-haired male struggled against the bindings, trying to free himself. Suddenly, he paused in an attempt to assess where he was. It wasn't a cottage nor a castle... maybe, it was someone's place of work? Dirt clung to the floor and there were a few shelves filled with dust, but overall there was nothing to properly get an idea of his location. 

"I bet you're wondering why you're here, isn't that right?" A voice he didn't recognize spoke.

Castiel fought harder against his bonds, glaring at his captor.

* * *

Nixie pulled away when he flinched, feeling unsure of herself all of a sudden. "Of course, you're my friend," she bit her lower lip, slightly apprehensively. 

"Nix? Is something wrong?" Michael asked with a frown.

Nixie smiled warmly, letting her face soften. "No, I'm alright. You don't have to worry about me right no. We can focus on finding your brother.  
 She did her best to make sure she kept a small distance between them, not wanting to upset him.

"Let's just see if there any tracks on the ground." Michael spoke, clicking his tongue to get Midnight to walk instead of trot. Nixie looked around, trying to see if there was anything she could do to help. She did notice that a particular root was upturned, its darker side facing upward instead of down. "Something disturbed that root over there." She pointed. "Normally, the lighter side faces up and the darker side faces down."

"Are you- you're right." Michael muttered, head tilted slightly as he pulled Midnight into a stop.

Nixie nodded, glad she had been able to assist. She peered over MIchael's shoulder when he jumped off the horse. Faint scuff marks, evidence of a struggle, were on the ground.

"There was some kind of struggle here. Nix, do me a favor and check the pouch on Midnight's saddle," Michael said, still using the nickname he'd picked up for the healer.

Nixie was pleasantly surprised that he felt comfortable enough to create a nickname, granted no one had ever given her one.

"Do you know what's in it?" Michael asked.

The healer pulled out a map of the neighboring town, a jewel-encrusted compass, a journal, and a bag full of gold coins. She was a bit taken aback by the coins, shoving them back into the pouch when she realized they weren't exactly needed. She brought the rest to Midnight's temporary rider, deciding it was best to keep quiet about the gold coins.

"Is something wrong, Nix?" Michael asked as he took hold of the map and journal.

* * *

Castiel simply glared, not dignifying the man's question with a response. 

"I do apologize for the way you've been brought here, but I couldn't have you running away."

The man smiled, his green eyes shining slightly. Castiel merely grunted, face fierce, in an answer, still attempting to free his hands while locking his blue irises with those of his captor.

"Now, is that any way to behave?" The mysterious man asked, sounding extremely casual.

Castiel laughed harshly. "Where are my manners? Hello, my name is Castiel and yours?" He gritted out.

The man grinned wolfishly at the snarky comment. "I know who you are. My name is Dean."

"Well, _Dean_ , I'd love to chat. Next time, make an appointment."

"I couldn't, actually. See, I know you're the youngest in the Novak family. If I free you, you can't run off."

"You are absolutely ridiculous," Castiel snorted, finally feeling the bonds on his hands to loosen slightly. If only he could just free his ankles from the legs of the chair.

"Why, thank you. I do try my best." Dean replied cheekily.

* * *

Nixie shook her head. "N-No, everything's fine. Does anything here help?" She asked hesitantly.

"The compass. Can you check the journal?" Michael replied, a worried tone seeping his tongue.

Nixie nodded, opening the journal, unsure of what'd she find. It was mostly military strategy, some financial things, things she didn't really understand. Eventually, the healer found one that was dog-eared. It read simply:

_I believe I'm being followed. For your safety, brother, I am going to walk away and hope he follows me and not you. You are far more important. Do not follow me. Be well, brother, and return home soon, you are needed urgently._

The healer handed Michael the journal, open to that specific page. 

"He? Who is he?" Michael muttered, head cocked like a confused dog. Who could possibly want to harm his family?

"The one who's following your brother, I'm assuming." Nixie thought out loud.

"Was there anything in that journal which stood out to you? Please, Nix, I don't care what it is." Michael said with an obvious distressed tone. Nixie looked up at him, her tone calm and gentle.

"I think whoever it was wanted your brother for leverage. That means they probably won't hurt him. You don't have to worry about me, it's okay." Her head was buzzing with a million questions, but none of them were important. It twisted her heart to see Michael in so much pain, wishing she could take it all away.

"There's someone I'm going to have to contact in order to find Castiel. Would you accompany me?" Michael asked, his demanor changing to a sharp tone that radiated control. Nixie nodded.

"Of course, I'm here to help in any way I can," she told him, noticing the interesting change in his character. Who was this man?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've noticed, Michael is a little inexperienced. That's the appeal I'm trying to give. He's young at this point, about 23 years old, and as eldest most of the responsiblity was shoved onto him, which really takes its toll, but he's still young and it's what I'm looking for. I want to give Michael a chance.   
> Best wishes,  
> -dream


End file.
